BEAVER FALLS, Pa. - April 7, 2014 - PRLog -- New Brighton, PA – March 31, 2014 – Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County, a non-profit organization that mentors at-risk youth, today announced it has been selected to receive a $1,000 grant as part of the Restaurant Community Grants program from the Darden Restaurants Foundation (http://www.darden.com/commitment/community.asp), Inc., the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants. The grants program, now in its third year, empowers each restaurant in the Darden family of brands to help award a $1,000 grant to support local community programs. The donation will enable Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County’s project to form a long standing and safe relationship between a mentor (BIG) and the child (LITTLE).

Darden’s Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s and Yard House brands participated in the program. Many restaurants and brands worked together to award one nonprofit organization with a larger grant and make a greater impact in their community. Nonprofits receiving grants support one of Darden’s three key focus areas: education, preservation of natural resources and hunger relief.

“Darden Restaurants Foundation understands and supports the mission of organizations, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County who are working in neighborhoods to provide programming and support to youth facing adversity in communities,” stated Lynell Scaff, Executive Director. “This grant will be used to secure mentors and support training for new matches in 2014 for children seeking a mentor. Our staff, board and volunteers are committed to serving youth in Beaver County to achieve our vision of helping children achieve success in life.”

“We strive to make a positive impact in all the communities our restaurants serve,” said Gene Lee, Darden’s president and chief operating officer. “Our employees are incredibly passionate about getting directly involved in their local communities, and our Restaurant Community Grants program enables each of our restaurant teams to make a difference right in their own backyard.”

A match for a year involves Case Managers who perform the initial intake in the child's home, which includes child empowerment training, an interview and orientation. Volunteers are fully screened by background checks and references, child safety training/orientation and an interview. Case Managers take into consideration the preferences and personalities of each child and each Volunteer to ensure that a bond will form and a solid connection can be made. To be effective the match needs to last a minimum of 18 months. Many of our matches have gone well beyond the 18 months and have lasted for years. A Match Specialists meets with all parties of the match to ensure everyone is satisfied and child's safety is being upheld. Match activity for events provide activities for the match to bond, share and build trust.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County is one of over 340 nationwide affiliates of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the nation’s oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States. It has been the leader in one-to-one service for more than a century, developing positive relationships that have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of young people. Locally, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Beaver County serves over 300 children annually and an equal number of volunteers. The agency is located at1475 Third Avenue in New Brighton. The agency vision is to match each and every child who needs and wants a Big Brother or Sister. Research conducted on Big Brothers Big Sisters programs nationwide has demonstrated that vulnerable youth matched with a Big Brother or Sister mentor are less likely to use drugs and to start drinking, do better in school, and are less likely to resort to violence.

Information about donating, volunteering, or enrolling a child is available at www.bcbigs.org, or by phoning 724.843.4600.

About Darden Restaurants

Darden Restaurants, Inc., , owns and operates more than 2,100 restaurants that generate over $8.5 billion in annual sales. Headquartered in Orlando, Fla., and employing more than 200,000 people, Darden is recognized for a culture that rewards caring for and responding to people. In 2014, Darden was named to the FORTUNE "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for the fourth year in a row. Our restaurant brands – Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V's and Yard House – reflect the rich diversity of those who dine with us. Our brands are built on deep insights into what our guests want. For more information, please visit www.darden.com.

The Darden FoundationThe Darden Restaurants, Inc. Foundation is the charitable arm of Darden Restaurants, Inc. The Darden Foundation’s mission is to maintain a spirit of service and community engagement as defining characteristics of Darden’s family of restaurants – Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, The Capital Grille, Eddie V’s and Yard House. Since 1995, the Darden Foundation has awarded more than $71 million in grants to leading nonprofit organizations that align with its mission and community priorities: Recipe for Success®, Preservation of Natural Resources and Good Neighbor grants. Through the Darden Harvest program, Darden Restaurants has also donated more than 66 million pounds of food to hunger relief agencies across the U.S. and Canada. In 2011, the Darden Foundation introduced the Restaurant Community Grants program that is dedicated to supporting local nonprofit organizations in the hundreds of communities where we live and serve. For more information, please visit www.dardenfoundation.com.